TIMELINE EXPLORE OUR HISTORY

This timeline shows an interactive journey through Jamaica's rich and ever-shifting musical history; encompassing it's birth, growth and myriad of characters that has made it a genre admired by the world.

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1972

Prince Jazzbo's first hit in 1972 with Coxsone was a version of Horace Andy's "Skylarking", which he re-worked as "Crabwalking".

November 1972 saw the release of Junior Byles' debut album, Beat Down Babylon, which along with a series of singles that followed, established Byles as a major force in Jamaica as well as establishing him with audiences in the Unite

1972

Junior Byles 1972 debut album, Beat Down Babylon, was a dread masterpiece and instant classic. The album remains one the best from the era, notable not just for Byles excellent songwriting and delivery, but for Lee 'Scratch' Perry's

1972

Fabulous Five Inc. was the first Jamaican reggae band to play on an international hit LP. They backed up six cuts on American singer, Johnny Nash's 1972 gold album "I Can See Clearly Now" which included the Bob Marley composition "S

1972

In 1972, Higgs won the Tourist Song Competition with "Invitation to Jamaica," whose prizes included a trip to New York, where he performed for the first time. The bouncy tune was uncharacteristic of his more normal roots sound, whic